ISLAMABAD – A suspect wanted in India for his alleged involvement inbombings in Punjab in 2010 is organising a pro-Khalistan rally at TrafalgarSquare here next week, according to a UK media report.
Paramjeet Singh Pamma, a Birmingham-based refugee, is among the keyorganisers of the rally dubbed as a “London Declaration” for a “Referendum2020” campaign seeking a “sovereign state of Khalistan”, the Sunday Timesreported.
Pamma is wanted in India for twin bomb blasts in Patiala and Ambala in 2010and is the alleged mastermind in the killing of Rulda Singh, head of theRashtriya Sikh Sangat, in 2009.
Pamma, who was granted asylum in Britain in 2000, denies the allegations as”false charges”.
He claims that up to 10,000 Sikhs are expected at the Trafalgar Squareevent next Sunday, many of whom are being bussed to London from other partsof Britain, the newspaper reported.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had issued a statement as news ofthe rally emerged last month and said it had registered a formal protestwith the British government.
“We expect that the UK government will not allow any such group, whoseintention is to spread hatred and impact our bilateral relations, to useits country,” MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had said at the time.
However, the UK government had indicated it has no plans of banning therally, saying “people have the right to gather together and to demonstratetheir views, provided that they do so within the law”.
The rally is being funded by a US-based group called Sikhs for Justice andis being billed as the first-ever referendum of the global community ofaround 30 million Sikhs.
“We are doing this rally with the power of the democratic word,” Pammasaid, adding that he will “die a refugee if we (Sikhs) don’t get our owncountry”.
The rally is intended to raise awareness for a non-binding referendum in2020, calling for the Sikh-majority state of Punjab to be grantedindependence. Organisers believe a high turnout will put pressure on the UNto ask India to hold a plebiscite.